I’ve been waiting for Beck to say this for some time, and I think it’s been part of his plan all along. While he supported Michele Bachmann, and then Rick Santorum, if you watched the coverage he gave to all of the candidates, you might have noticed that he was reluctant to criticize Mitt Romney. There are those who believe this comes down to the Mormon faith he shares with Mitt Romney, but I’m not sure it’s quite that simple. On Friday evening, he appeared on FNC’s O’Reilly Factor to say that it’s time to be done with the primaries, and that Santorum and the others should get out in order to give Romney an unfettered run to the general election.
Here’s the video, courtesy Mediaite:
I couldn’t possibly disagree more. I really don’t understand how with Santorum challenging Romney closely, Beck can justify walking away. He mentions the numerical impossibility, but that’s a lot of hogwash if you examine things closely. It’s entirely possible for Romney to stumble, and for Santorum to pick it up, or even for Newt Gingrich to rise back to the top, and Beck’s position in this seems at least somewhat self-defeating if we are to believe he has supported Santorum since Bachmann’s withdrawal.
From my point of view, it appears that Beck’s support of Santorum wasn’t all that strong from the start, and he seemed to be moving in Romney’s direction all along. A number of conservatives have questioned this change in Beck, and it’s really a bit disturbing, but Beck will likely discount such talk as “conspiracy theories.” It will be interesting to see who else caves and goes along with the Romney ticket before the outcome is clear. After all, much of the whining at present is based on the notion that a brokered convention would be a disaster for the party, and thus the country.
I don’t believe that. I think the Republican party could stand the cleansing provided by a good floor battle. It would likely lead to either a real moment of unification or a moment that will lead to what I see as the inevitable split in the party. The problem is that false unity will not provide victory, and the proof of that was in 1976, when the party suffered a defeat after conservatives had a dishonest theme of unity shoved down their throats. It took them another four years to get their act together, and for the conservatives to take over the party, but the result was Ronald Reagan presidency.
Some argue that we can’t afford four more years of Obama, because the country might well collapse under the weight of his maladministration. I am inclined to agree, and that’s why I believe it is more important than ever that when the GOP nominates a candidate to face Barack Obama, that such a candidate must be up to a real fight, and must be able to draw distinctions between the GOP and the Democrats in clear terms. I don’t think a contrived unity will accomplish that, but if Mitt Romney is the nominee, we may indeed find ourselves faking it come November, and while fakes and frauds may win as Democrats, it’s not going to work on conservative Republicans. Too many will simply stay home in disgust, and I won’t blame them.
I will never understand the willingness to support an individual that is responsible for part one of Obamacare. Personally, that is my sole issue. I want Obamacare repealed in it’s entirety,immediately. For GB to support a candidate that really is Big Government based on his actions in MA and the words that have come out of his mouth, is remarkable even for Beck.. He is everything Beck supposedly railed against the last three years. Obama’s presidency has earned Beck a lot of money. Good for him, but perhaps his personal financial portfolio trumps his patriotism. He is not the smartest man in the room, I think people see that now.
Your writing is excellent by the way….Has a great flow to it, to the point. Great writing ability there.
Solid agreement with you
In my reading and studying Mormon history, there is one theme…When push comes to shove, Mormons look out for their own and take care of their own.So this does not surprise me and I predicted as well that Beck would play this story line even though he has publicly aligned himself with Tea-party patriot types. Always be weary of what Beck is selling because its with the backdrop of benefiting Mormons/LDS members.
The political class and GOP elites understand from behavioral science how people are influenced and will react to human action. The single most important event in politics which has the most impression on voters is the convention speech.Every 4 years a new generation of voters are expose to politics for the first time at these conventions in August. Example Gov Palin’s speech in 2008 which imprinted a generation of voters and anchored them to her forever.These conventions have 75 million viewers. Remember Reagan 1976 and then 1980 and Obama in Boston 2004 then 2008. The political class understands this.The point of the GOP elites and Democrat elites is to stop conservatism . They know Romney can’t win but will end conservatism for generations.If Palin gets another convention speech she will anchor another generation conservative voters for years to come. Google AB Culvahouse Palin. What is the objective of pushing Romney or another Bush?
I don’t know why anyone would be surprised by Beck’s APPARENT change of position … in my mind it’s more a “coming out of the closet” than a change.
I’m a bit disheartened in that I think we’re hanging on by the slimmest of threads.
I believe:
1.) 4 more years of Obama WILL BE the end of America as we know it.
2.) That Romney WILL LOSE to Obama if he is the nominee in that there REALLY ARE a large number of “sit home rather than hold my nose” conservatives who will not cast a ballot for Romney (even if they turn out to vote downballot).
3.) That Santorum WILL LOSE to Obama if he is the nominee as his “I’m an angry white man” and “I’m holier than thou” attitude REALLY DOES scare the non-evangelic and/or minority voter.
4.) There remains a SLIM RAY OF HOPE via the nomination of Gingrich as described by PolitiJim in this Article:
http://www.politijim.com/2012/03/renewt-vision.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RantsForReasonablePeople+%28Rants+for+Reasonable+People%29
People, it’s time to pray for a resurgence in the Gingrich campaign … and to spread the word to anyone who’ll listen.
Amen, John.
I spread the word for Gingrich on every blog I find a chance to say something positive for Newt.
I am surprised Glenn is not for Newt…Newt and Glenn think alike in a lot of ways.
This from the guy who called Tea Party members “racists” if they voted for Newt Gingrich over Obama.
FloridaJohn, I believe it’s true and never negate the seriousness of the plight this country and it’s people are in. Legitimate emigrants from Cuba and USSR see it and have spoken out, but our media ignores their understanding and experience . Another elected term of Obamadinajad (borrowed from another commenter, but liked a lot) will be bad news. But I still gotta sound off with a wink and a nod, until muster.Pray for Gingrich and his revival . OK. That’ll work for me.It’s Sunday in the South and in Florida where we are both living (me far Northwest, known as LA) But in a lot of the world there is a whole lotta shaking going on… (chanting so called prayers, dancing in the street, some flag burning, gang raping journalists that even their so called friends won’t condemn, fist thrusting before TV cameras with knuckles bared , not “fisting” of course, ’cause that don’t happen in Islamic lands! ) . But praying, if it can be called that… “Allāhu Akbar” and “Death to the kāfir.” You won’t have to worry about the economy or obamacare when your throats cut. Nope will not be sitting home. Maybe to no avail. Will only be holding nose if sit home smelling my demise. Still moving, still achieving something…a breathe or two.
I have always believed that Beck was going to eventually play his true hand and come out for Mittens. I do believe it is the mormon thing.
Mixed feelings on the video. He did still express support for Santorum. I just wish he wasn’t throwing in the towel so publicly. I am very disappointed that he would blow off any chance for Santorum, but I do agree with his point on working harder on the House and Senate races. Too bad that point got buried before they discussed it further. I get the feeling he is more desperate to displace Obama than necessarily be trying to get a Mormon in office.
Another commenter mentioned his attack on Tea Partiers backing Newt. I do agree that was a very, very poor move from Beck. I was never a Newt fan, but to attack those who see it otherwise as racists??
Ultimately we all must decide for ourselves who to vote for. It really shouldn’t matter what celebrity is endorsing who. Vote your own conscious, not someone else’s.
By Golly Gee….what a surprise….never saw that one coming…
Yeah, right…Everyone knew becker the pecker was setting Santorum up!
When the becker started slamming NEWT, but left the obvious RINO alone, I CANCELED MY BECK SUBSCRIPTION AND STOPPED LISTENING TO HIM!!
Santorum has been used by the entire media in order to split the conservative vote….the only one who didn’t seem to know anything about this was Santorum himself…..
Unbelievable!
Don’t forget that O’Reilly/o’blather pulled out becker the pecker and coulter every time – right before the primary election to have them spew their anti-Newt BS.
I’ll NEVER support coulter or beck again – that goes for o’blather too!!!
EVER!!
Total BULL PUCKY! Glenn criticizes Romney almost daily on his radio show. I’m tired of GOP primary run! It’s time Romney started turning his money toward beating the terrorist in the white house, in stead of wasting it fighting with Sanctimonious Santorum, and nutty Newt.
You’re tired of it? I haven’t even voted yet. Millions haven’t. Perhaps you should settle down and let the process play out. But no, with your guy in the lead, you want to shut down the process. Is that it? Glenn’s criticisms of Romney are few and far between.
If you really believe this, then let the party honestly count the Ron Paul votes! Ron Paul is despised only because he is an honest politician, and might actually do what he says. The party could not buy this man, so they intent to bury him instead.
I agree, the party needs to go to the convention without Romney locked in as the candidate. Let’s hear all sides in the conservative debate!